Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-03-13
One Mans Stupidity.s
Results in the Loss of Many
Lives on an Elevated
Railway.
Tennessee City, Tennessee, Sc
lected as point for Cooper
ative Settlement.
FEARFUL ACCIDENT.
Walking the Plank I'm Mid-Air.

u
A New York dispatch says that
owing to q blockade on the elevated
road caused by fire, the conductor
on one Of the trains notified his pas
sengers that they could leave the train
and walk over q plank alongside Of
the track and thus make their way to
the station. A number svsiled them
selves Of this dangerous privilege and
an awful accident resulted, o number
of persons falling TO the street, nearly
one hundred feet below.
An official report Of the accident
says that three persons were killed
and seven others badly injured. 1t
appears that number OF passengers
left one OF the trains at Seventeenth
street and started to walk along mar
row track to the station at Fourteenth
street. While doing so the blockade
was relieved and the trains began TO
start. The motion shook the pathway
30 that q number Of passengers were
thrown to the street below with the
result as stated.
The narrow platform from which
the people fell was but two and one
half feet wide. II is used by the
track men when on duty and above
Fourteenth street is not provided with
hand rails. When the passengers left
the blockaded cars and took to the
platform the gate men of the trains
offered no objections, as they ought to
have done. A long line Of men was
picking its way slowly when suddenly
the train ahead started up and began
TO move. The next one followed suit
aud successive series of jerks went
along the whole length Of the line up
to the last train. Each shook the track
with q cOnvulsive movement that
frightened those In front and made
them hurry ahead rapidly to reach the
station safely. Those behind saw they
we're scared and grew nervous In turn.
Some were looking anxiously around
for support, and n bunch of q dozen
walking in single file just below FIJI
teenth street In sight Of the platform,
hurried nervously forward 20 catch
the gate of the nearest car. when the
train OF which IL was q part suddenly
started ahead, and nearly shook the
foremost one off his feet. shrinking
back In fright from the moving wheels,
he crowded against the man behind
him on the very edge of the narrow
plank walk. From below, where the
crowd was watching the progress ol
the promenaders In mid.air, . shout OF
warning arose, but too late. The mau
seized wildly at his neignbors In ter
ror of his life. The latter drew back
but the crowd behind was pressing on
Those further behind sawa momentAry
punching Of the crowd in front and
one, two, half-a-dozeD, were seen fall
ing over the edge into the street below
from which arose q frightened wal
that turned into shrieks of terror
aud despair a. man after man struck
the pavement aud lay mangled and
bleeding. Then followed q wild
rush in the street and q wilder
and more desperate one above Ia
the air. The venturesome pedes.
triaDs caught at the gates Of the train
az II passed and clung with . grip OF
despair. II was pulled up and stopped
almost Immediately. The frightened
and breathless men were pulled in and
room made for others.
In two minutes the plank walk was
clear. Down below In the street q
scene Of horror was In progress. The
men had fallen in the middle OF the
street in tie surface car track. In .
gbastly hesD they lay, some motion
less, some moaning family and ons
shrieking wildly in pain and terror
The crowd Of Thousands who had
watched the blockade from below
surged around and closed In upon the
scene. Ten had fallen from the track
ell told; that 10 ten were found dead Of
injured. II any had escaped unhur
they were not counted. Three at tn
bottom of the heap were dead. The,
had failed head first and had smashed
In their skulls. one and sll dead. A
wagon was called and they were takeI
TO the morgue. Several were more o
less desperately injured and some will
die,